Overview
- NOAA told lead authors on Monday that it will not facilitate coordination or sponsor the 2026 Arctic Report Card, leaving the report’s production and public release uncertain.
- The agency said it will continue to collect and publish the raw Arctic observations through its monitoring program, but it will not provide the logistical editing, hosting or formal publication support it has offered since 2006.
- Authors, the American Geophysical Union and outside partners are now exploring whether they can complete and distribute the 2026 synthesis without NOAA’s editorial and technical backing.
- Scientists warn the loss of NOAA coordination could create a gap in year‑to‑year comparability of the peer‑reviewed report, weakening a key source used for weather prediction, navigation, security planning and community decision making.
- Observers say the decision follows other administration moves that scale back federal climate communications and assessments, raising broader concerns about the durability of long‑term environmental monitoring.